This invention relates generally to telemicroscopic instruments and, more particularly, to ocular mounting assemblies for adjustably mounting a pair of telemicroscopic loupes to an eyeglass frame or headband.
Telescopic instruments are widely used for magnifying a work area during precision work such as delicate surgery, dental work, inspection of circuit board solder joints, and assembly of miniature parts. A typical telemicroscopic instrument includes a pair of telemicroscopic loupes which are adjustably mounted to an eyeglass frame or headband. The telescopic loupes combine the long working distance of the telescope with the high quality magnification of the microscope. This type of optical instrument provides the user, a surgeon, for example, with a magnified image of the work area with a field of view at about an arm""s length. The mounting assemblies typically used in these telemicroscopic instruments provide a variety of degrees of freedom. Although a wide range of adjustments increases flexibility, it also increases the risk that one or more of the adjustments will come loose during use. Accordingly, there has been a need for an ocular mounting assembly which sacrifices at least certain of the adjustments on a predetermined, selective basis in favor of operational stability. By offering three view-angle adjustments with a fixed convergence angle, and other components which promote rigidity, the present invention clearly fulfills this need.
The present invention resides in a novel ocular mounting assembly for adjustably mounting a pair of ocular devices, such as telemicroscopic loupes, to an eyeglass frame or headband with linear and rotational adjustments, but wherein convergence angle is fixed as a function of working distance, thus providing a highly stable configuration, resistant to vibration or impact and misadjustment during use. The ocular mounting assembly includes an adjustable ocular support assembly and an adjustable clamp assembly rotatably attached to the ocular support assembly. The adjustable clamp assembly provides height and view angle adjustment of the ocular devices and allows the ocular devices to be flipped up out of the way when not needed. The height adjustment in conjunction with the view angle adjustment allows the line of sight to be adjusted while the ocular devices are positioned close to the eye or eyeglass lens.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ocular support assembly includes a rectangular-shaped ocular support assembly housing, a pair of ocular support arms and an interpupillary adjustment knob. The ocular support arms are slidably disposed within the assembly housing and the adjustment knob is inserted through an opening in the assembly housing to engage a slot in each ocular support arm. The adjustment knob has a set of serrated teeth which engages a set of serrated teeth in each slot, such that rotation of the knob causes the ocular support arms to slide in and out of the assembly housing for adjustment of the interpupillary distance between the two ocular devices.
To further ensure stability against vibration or impact, the width of the ocular assembly housing is maximized as a function of interpupillary distance, and the support arms include stabilizing elements to enhance rigidity. In the preferred embodiment the support arms includes at least two members perpendicular to one another in transverse cross-section to counteract longitudinal twisting. In the preferred embodiment, the support arms are L-shaped in transverse cross-section and overlapped in mirror-image fashion within the housing so that the housing and both support arms consume the greatest volume within the housing and act in conjunction with one another for the highest possible degree of rigidity during use.
A view angle hinge pin is rigidly attached to the ocular support assembly housing for rotatably attaching the ocular support assembly to the adjustable clamp assembly, thus allowing the view angle of the ocular devices to be adjusted. The adjustable clamp assembly includes a pair of clamp assembly members, a clamp assembly housing, a height adjustment rail, and an eyeglass frame mounting clamp. The clamp assembly members have slots that engage the view angle hinge pin and a flip-up hinge pin. The flip-up hinge pin is rigidly attached to the clamp assembly housing and rotatably attaches the clamp assembly members to the assembly housing, thus allowing the ocular devices to be flipped up out of the way when they are not needed.
The clamp assembly housing preferably includes an undercut channel that engages a rectangular-shaped undercut pad on the height adjustment rail, thus allowing the height of the ocular devices to be adjusted. The eyeglass frame mounting clamp and the height adjustment rail clamp together about an eyeglass frame to rigidly attach the clamp assembly to the eyeglass or headband.